'Yes Minister' remains a work of genius ......glad to see it made it across the pond! A contemporary version would have to add the much diminished ability of the idiocracy, the malign politicization of the civil 'servants', DEI and woke....it would take more genius to make that funny, eh?
While it was satirical, it was, as you say, a work of genius. They captured the idealism and impracticality of the politicians, and the steadiness and cynicism of the bureaucrats, in a way that suggested that both perspectives were needed and worked better together. The bureaucrats were there for life while politicians came and went. And they made it funny! They released a couple of books, basically transcriptions of the shows, and I haul them off the shelf for a read every year. They never get old. Part of the genius of it is that the writers were an ex politician and an ex bureaucrat, or so I’ve been told. They knew their subject matter. There are wonderful snippets in there about government approaches to everything (data, lobbyists, inquiries and independent inquiries, messaging, etc.)
I don’t know how they would even begin to make a modern version. The Leftie politicians are far too idealistic and impractical. They’ve co-opted the bureaucracy, with senior bureaucrats now part of the party political apparatus, what you refer to as malign politicization, so the practical counterbalancing side has been lost. Whatever the modern equivalent to “Yes Minister” might be, it would be a tragedy, not a comedy.
'Yes Minister' remains a work of genius ......glad to see it made it across the pond! A contemporary version would have to add the much diminished ability of the idiocracy, the malign politicization of the civil 'servants', DEI and woke....it would take more genius to make that funny, eh?
While it was satirical, it was, as you say, a work of genius. They captured the idealism and impracticality of the politicians, and the steadiness and cynicism of the bureaucrats, in a way that suggested that both perspectives were needed and worked better together. The bureaucrats were there for life while politicians came and went. And they made it funny! They released a couple of books, basically transcriptions of the shows, and I haul them off the shelf for a read every year. They never get old. Part of the genius of it is that the writers were an ex politician and an ex bureaucrat, or so I’ve been told. They knew their subject matter. There are wonderful snippets in there about government approaches to everything (data, lobbyists, inquiries and independent inquiries, messaging, etc.)
I don’t know how they would even begin to make a modern version. The Leftie politicians are far too idealistic and impractical. They’ve co-opted the bureaucracy, with senior bureaucrats now part of the party political apparatus, what you refer to as malign politicization, so the practical counterbalancing side has been lost. Whatever the modern equivalent to “Yes Minister” might be, it would be a tragedy, not a comedy.
Another great read thanks Rick!!